Keeping my glasses from slipping down my face is a constant battle. It’s a classic nerd trope that holds true, for me, and I’ve been losing the fight against gravity. But I’ve found some help in the form of Nerdwax.

Many people have no problem keeping their glasses in place; it depends entirely on your nose, your choice of frames, and perhaps the inherent oils of your skin. I’m partial to plastic frames with retro flair, but unfortunately, such frames prioritize aesthetic above function and lack those little rubber nose pads that hold metal frames in place. The lack of rubber grips combined with weighty plastic results in slippy spectacles, particularly during a humid, slick New York summer. Even if you don’t wear prescription lenses, the problem is even more common with sunglasses, which are often larger, weightier, and sometimes made from glossy plastic.

I recently bought new frames and found myself constantly having to re-assert their place atop my nose, adopting that classic nerd mannerism. The new frames’ constant slipping was annoying enough that I considered just switching back to my older pair. What could be done!

Advertisement

Nerdwax is simply a beeswax-based substance that you apply to beneath the nose-bridge area of the frames—the part where your glasses make contact with your nose. It has a mildly sticky, tacky feel that works to keep your glasses in place. It comes in a small tube like chapstick.

Does work? Yes, kind of. It helps.

Once a day, in the morning when I typically clean my lenses, I also rub a little wax beneath the nose-bridge. Not huge gobs of the stuff; it’s more like drawing a line with a soft crayon. It doesn’t glue your frames to your face but it does make them a little more grippy.

It’s not perfect, but it certainly adds some much-needed friction. Over time the wax wears off, distilled and smudged away from your natural skin oils. I only apply it in the morning, but some people apply it more frequently. It has indeed made my new glasses wearable. The alternative would be ungainly rubber nibs, nose pads, or some solution that would make it look like I’m about to go play sports or ride a roller coaster and need my glasses to hold a death grip on my face. Call me vain, but I don’t want my glasses to look like a medical device (which they literally are, I suppose).